‘I’ve had to adapt and improve’ – Madison Finnie on her debut season at Aberdeen Women

By Sophie Goodwin

February 19 2023, 6:00 am

Aberdeen Women defender Madison Finnie. Image: Shutterstock.

Aberdeen Women defender Madison Finnie has reflected on the highs and lows of her debut season in the Scottish top flight.

The 16-year-old moved up to the Dons first team this season after coming through the Aberdeen Ladies youth pathway, and has made a solid start to life in SWPL 1.

She has made eight appearances in the league so far, with five of them being starts. Finnie also earned praise from interim coach Gavin Levey with her display against Celtic described as “brilliant”.

Finnie reckons her breakthrough campaign thusfar has been an education, and feels she has learnt a lot especially against the top-flight’s full-time professional outfits.

She said: “It’s been really good to start games. I’m getting a lot of good experience coming up against the professional teams like Glasgow City, Celtic and Rangers.

“It’s really different to play against those teams, and you can tell the difference that they’re full-time, but playing against them will help me to improve.

“I’ve had to adapt and improve technically and tactically, but it’s been a really good experience so far and the girls have helped with that.”

Tough times can be an opportunity to learn

With Aberdeen currently in the midst of a relegation battle in SWPL 1, the young defender’s first season hasn’t been without its challenges.

And although Finnie admits things – such as the managers who gave her her first-team chance resigning – have sometimes been difficult, she believes they’re situations which can learn from.

Finnie said: “Obviously a lot has happened this season and it probably will just help me – because I’m a young player – prepare for these sort of things later on in my career.

“I’ll be ready to take on these kinds of challenges. It can be difficult mentally but when you have players like Loren Campbell around that really helps to pick things up.

Madison Finnie and Aberdeen skipper Loren Campbell high-five at full-time. Image: Shutterstock.

“The coaching staff on the sidelines and in training, their support helps you a lot.”

Aberdeen experience helps Finnie impress for Scotland

In her most recent game for the Dons, Finnie was named in the starting XI barely 12 hours after returning from Greece, where she had been representing Scotland U17s.

Finnie has been a mainstay in the youth national set-up this season, and believes her SWPL 1 experience now shines through when she pulls on the dark blue shirt.

The defender said: “It’s been really good. I think playing first-team football at Aberdeen has helped me massively with the national team.

“I’m one of the more experienced players with the U17s and I try and use that to help the younger ones when I’m away with Scotland.”

Not only does Finnie regularly feature for Scotland, she has captained the national team on a number of occasions, and did so in one of the recent games against Greece.